Global Positioning

At the “Whiskeys of the World” tasting at Rum Runners in Lansing, Mich., guests experienced the differences among U.S., Scotch, Irish, Canadian and Japanese whiskeys. For an advance ticket price of $20, the sold-out event offered a sampling of 11 whiskeys from around the globe, including a variety of domestics.

“We had whiskey-inspired appetizers, which included chicken wings marinated in a bourbon cream sauce, as well as shrimp marinated in an Asian whiskey glaze,” Michael Walsh, general manager of the Lansing Rum Runners, offers. “The event was limited to 50 tasters, as we try to keep the feel of our tastings a little bit exclusive.”

The tasting commenced with a brief history of whiskey and an explanation about how it is made.

“Our tasters were given rate cards in order to provide feedback as to which were their favorites, and, as a result, Rum Runners now proudly offers Michael Collins Single Malt Irish Whiskey,” he continues. “The event was by far the most successful of our three tastings, the other two being craft and microbrew beers of Michigan and tequila. We hope to increase our number of tastings per year from four to eight based on the recent success of our last one.”